Storage battery.



Y No. 810,930.

- PATENTED JAN. so, 1906. W; PENNELL & W. P. BERRY,

, STORAGE BATTERY. APPLIOATION FILED MARJB, 1905.

Fig 5 wiLLnin VFENNELL, AND wILLiA M FAGDENiPERRY, or LaYToNsronE,

ENGLAND. I sToRAE BATTERY.

To all itch/0711fit nrtyconccrnq Be it known thatwe, WILLIAM FENNELL and WILLIAM PAGD NPnimn'citizensof the United Kingdoniof Great Britain and he land, and residentsof Ley'tonstone, England, have invented certain new and useful Ina;

provements in Storage Batteries, of which the following is a specification, such as will jenafble-others skilled in the art-to which it ap-. pertains to makejandus'e the same.

This invention relates to-elec'tric accumudlators orlsecondary electrolytic cells; and it consistslinineans for supporting the active (matter and forintrodueing it to intimate conlitact with the electrolyte. 1

' l'nac'cui'nulators of the pasted type as at present constructed using plates containingor-coated with the active material, the greater part of the electrolyte is external to'the plate,

while the charge and-discharge of the mass of F material depends entirely upon the diffusion of the electrolyte into thebody of the plate.

". This acts very disadvantageously in limiting I thin plates for high discharge rates.

the rates of charge and discharge and in reducing thecapacity at high rates and causes excessive action, gassing, and disintegration.

This is more especially a characteristic of a lead cell and renders it necessary to use many Any great increase in porosity of the active material by adding soluble substances to the paste or by other mea has so far been attended *of an electrode.

by increased weakness.

According to our invention We very greatly increase both the porosity and the strength While we provide a permanent support, for the active material and bringevery part of it into contact with the electrolyte, we at the same time provide for the prompt escape, of gas and for the circulation of the electrolyte.

. \Ve use a hard porous non-conducting substance insoluble in the electrolyte in the form a or shape of a network, honeycomb ,or frame work, so as to contain. the electrolyte in the plate itself and flat the sa1ne time to act as a support for the active material, which we spread over the surface in theform of a thin. film or layer. The subdivisions or ramifications comprising the honeycomb or network should preferahlv be as numerous and of as small size as is consistent with mechanical strength. vlt will be readily seen that a network n1 lmmwroml) ol substance involves a Specification of Letters Patent. Application filedlfiarch e, 1905. are No. 248,778.

atted Jan. 30,1906.

- network or honycoiiib of area: Therefore active material. We do not of necessity make the mass (which forms the network of one form of our invention which we have found particularly effective consists of a number of rough burnt clay rods of irregular shape each covered with a film of active matrubber rings, yarn, or other suitable means. A piece of metallic wire or rod is placed in the center of the bundle to serve as conductor, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 but the manner of insuring contact of our electrode with the conductor forms no part 'of this invention.

Our construction, in effect, increases the thickness of a plate and can be carried to such an extent that the plates may become ,blocks and may be packed quite close together, filling the cell solid, being merely separated by a porous partition. It is not essen- We have found pumice to be a most effective material'by reason of its rough surface, its great porosity, and low s ecific gravity, it being also unacted upon y ordinary electro lytes. We may, however, use other substances separately or in combination-such as earthenware or other burnt'clay, asbestos, slate, soapstone, or the likein the forms of tubes, rods, or irregularly-shaped pieces or a honeycomb or network, preferably with a hard rough irregular surface. e also may pierce the block or plate with additional holes or passages to hold a surplus of the electrolyte. These additional. holes are prelen ably in the direction of the natural path of the current in the electrolyte to lower the internal resistance. It is also preferable to incline't-hese holes upward in order to facilitate the escape of gas. We easily contain the whole of the electrolytein the plate itself. The coating of the hon eycombed mass with the thin film or skin nl aybe done by anyrconvenient meaiiis, such as by damping it' with a liq- 1 uid and dusting o1,blowing,through with acioles as space. for electrolyte, the hard rough walls of which passages or holes are lined or coated with a thin layer or film ofpassages) of one'piece only. For instance,

ter and "held together in a bundle by india tial, however, to carrythe process thus far. i

Too

, is a perspective view of a number of irregu-.-

depositing from a'solution.

tive or conducting powder until the required thickness of film is formed, or a thin layer .of active matter may be precipitated chemically out of a solution, or it may be held in mechanical suspension and allowed to settle on" the surface, or the network or rods or the dipped in an emullike may be alternatel sion of active materia and allowed .to dry. If necessary, we increase the thickness of the layer by any usualmeans, such as by electroter Inaybe'used in our inventionsuch as, for instance, for the positives the 'oxids of lead, iron,;nickel, copper, or cobalt-or for the negative 'lectrodes-suchas lead, zinc, cadmium, copper, ormanganese. 4

In the accompanyingdrawinglsi we'illustrate-a few of thermally forms: w "ch can be employed for the purposes of our invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of'a'networksupport shown in perspective in Fi 2 coveredwith a film of active material. F

and ig. 3

- lar rods forming a network-support, said rods 7 being held together by the entire space in containing box .with the electrode with the exception of thin separa" tors made of any suitable material-such as corrugated perforated ebonite, asbestos cloth, burnt clay, or of any material usually used in the manufacture of porous partitions in galvanic batteries. "We even prefer to form the blocks or electrodes in position even where they appear to already fill the cell solid. Such pressure as is created is benefi; cial in solidifying the'mass and insures good contact with the conductors. We also preferably pierce the blocks with additional vertical or inclined holes to facilitate the egress of gas, as otherwise the gas is liable to drive up the electrolyte in making its'escape.

In our electrodes the thin layer of active matter has so very large a surface, and there I fore the formation of gas distributed over so Any active mat- 1 sure so large an area, that'itescapes almost as soon. as

' ormed and c'an'never cause disintegration of the active matteri Therefore a prolonged and high rate ofcurrent may be sustained during the whole" charge or discharge, as there is no need for any rapid circulation of the electrolyte, as, each particle of active material has in actual contact with it the proper' amount of electrolyte to completely charge or discharge it. g

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. electrode comprised of a non-conducting mass insoluble in electrolyte pierced in more than one direction with intercommunicating passages, the'walls of the passages being-lined with active material.

- 2. An improved electrode'for electric accumulators consisting of a nonconducting honeycombed support on the exposed surfaces of which active material is spread in such a manner as not to fill the interstices completely.

f 3. An improved electrode for electric accumulators built up of a number of separate ieces of non-conductive substances, in the orm of a honeycombed support on the exposed surfaces .of which active material is spread so as not to fill the interstices cometely.

4. An improved electrode for electric accumulators consisting of a non-conducting support pierced by intercommunicatingpassages on the walls of which active'material is spread so as not to fill the interstices completely.

5. An iglprovedelectrode for electric accu mulators'consisting of a hard rough non-conducting support pierced in diflerent direc tions by intercommunicating passages, on the exposed surfaces of which active material is spread so as not to fill the interstices completely.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of witnesses.

WILLIAM FENNELL. \VILLIAM PAGDEX PERRY.

Witnesses to the signature of the said William Fennell WILL. R. HANG-ox,

FRED. ATKINSON.

\Vitnesses to the signature of the said William Pagderl Perry:

Vt AL'rnn J. SKERTEN, GEo..;J. B. FRANKLIN. 

